Letter from Paul Revere to Jeremy Belknap, circa 1798

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22.7 cm x 18.6 cm

From the manuscript collection, Accounts of his famous ride

page:

Having a little leisure, I wish to fullfill my
promise, of giving you some facts, and Anecdotes, prior to
the Battle of Lexington, which I do not remember to have seen
in any history of the American Revolution.

In the year 1773 I was imployed by the Select men of the
Town of Boston to carry the Account of the Destruction of the
Tea to New-York; and afterwards, 1774, to Carry their dispatches to
New-York and Philadelphia for Calling a Congress; and afterwards to
Congress, several times.* [This asterisk points to a note in the left
margin written by Jeremy Belknap: "Let the narrative begin here." ] In
the Fall of 1774 & Winter of 1775 I was
one of upwards of thirty, cheifly mechanics, who formed our selves
in to a Committee
for the purpose of watching the Movements of the British Soldiers,
and gaining every intelegence of the movements of the Tories. We
held our meetings at the Green-Dragon
Tavern. We were so carefull that
our meetings should be kept Secret; that every time we met, every
person swore upon the Bible, that they would not discover any of
our transactions, But to Messrs. Hancock, Adams,
Doctors Warren, Church,
& one or two more. About November, when things began
to grow
Serious, a Gentleman who had Conections with the Tory party, but was
a Whig at heart, aquainted me, that our meetings were discovered,
&
mentioned the identical words that were spoken among us the
Night
before. We did not then distrust
Dr. Church, but supposed it must be
some one among us. We removed to another place, which we
thought was more secure: but here we found that all our transactions
were communicated to Governor Gage. (This came to me through the
then Secretary Flucker; He told it to the
Gentleman mentioned above). It was
then a common opinion, that there was a Traytor in the provincial Con
gress, & that Gage was posessed of all their
Secrets. (Church was a member
of that Congress for Boston.) In the Winter, towards the Spring, we fre-
quently took Turns, two and two, to Watch
the Soldiers, By patroling
the Streets all night. The Saturday Night preceding the 19th of
April, about 12
oClock at Night, the Boats belonging to the Transports were all
launched, & carried under the Sterns of the Men of
War. (They had been
previously hauld up & repaired). We likewise found
that the Grenadiers
and light Infantry were all taken off duty.

From these movements, we expected something serious was
[to]
be transacted. On Tuesday evening, the 18th, it was observed, that a
number
of Soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the Common.
About 10 o'Clock, Dr. Warren Sent in great haste for me, and beged
that I would imediately Set off for Lexington, where Messrs. Hancock
& Adams were, and acquaint them of the Movement, and
that it was
thought they were the objets. When I got to Dr. Warren's
house, I found
he had sent an express by land to Lexington - a Mr. Wm. Daws.
The Sunday before, by desire of Dr. Warren, I had been to Lexington,
to Mess. Hancock and Adams, who were at the Rev. Mr. Clark's.
I returned
at Night thro Charlestown; there I agreed with a Col. Conant,
& some other Gentle
men, in Charleston, that if the British went out by Water,
we would shew two Lanthorns in the North Church
Steeple;
& if by Land, one, as a Signal; for we
were aprehensive it would be di
ficult to Cross the Charles River, or git over Boston neck. I left
Dr. Warrens, called
upon a friend, and desired him to make the Signals. I then
went Home, took my Boots and Surtout, and went to the North
part of the Town, where
I had kept a Boat; two friends rowed me
across Charles River,
a little to the eastward where the
Somerset Man of
War lay. It was then young flood, the Ship was winding, &
the moon was Rising. They landed me on Charlestown
side. When I got into Town, I met Col. Conant, &
several others;
they said they had seen our signals. I told them what was
Acting, & went to git me a Horse; I got a Horse of
Deacon
Larkin. While the Horse was preparing, Richard
Devens, Esq. who was one of the Committee of Safty, came to me, & told me, that he came down the Road from
Lexington, after Sundown, that evening; that He met ten British
Officers, all
well mounted, & armed, going up the Road. I set off
upon a very
good Horse; it was then about 11 o'Clock, & very
pleasant. After I
had passed Charlestown Neck, & got nearly
opposite where Mark was
hung in chains, I saw two men on Horse back, under a Tree.
When I got near them, I discovered they were British officer.
One tryed to git a head of Me, & the other to take
me. I turned
my Horse very quick, & Galloped towards Charlestown
neck,
and then pushed for the Medford Road. The one who chased
me, endeavoring to Cut me off, got into a Clay pond, near
where the new Tavern is now built. I got
clear of him,

and went thro Medford, over the Bridge, & up to Menotomy.
In Medford, I awaked the Captain of the
Minute men; & after
that, I alarmed almost every House, till I got to Lexington.
I found Mrs.Messrs. Hancock &
Adams at the Rev. Mr. Clark's; I told
them my errand, and inquired for Mr. Daws; they said he had
not been there; I related the story of the two officers, &
supposed that He must have been stopped, as he ought to
have been there before me. After I had been there about half
an Hour, Mr. Daws came; afterwe refreshid our selves,
weand set off
for Concord, to secure the Stores, &c. there. We were overtaken
by a young Docter Prescot,
whom we found to be a high Son of Liberty.
I told them
of the ten officers that Mr. Devens mett, and that it was pro-
bable we might be stoped before we got to Concord; for
I supposed that after Night, they divided them selves, and that
two of them had fixed themselves in such passages as were
most likely to stop any intelegence going to Concord.
I likewise mentioned, that we had better allarm all the In-
habitents till we got to Concord; the young
Doctor much ap-
proved of it, and said, he would stop with either of us, for the
people between that & Concord knew him,
& would give the
more credit to what we said. We had got nearly half way.
Mr Daws & the
Doctor stoped to allarm the people of a House:
I was about one hundred Rod a head, when I saw two men,
in nearly the same situation as those officer were, near
Charlestown. I called for the Doctor & Daws to come
up; -were two & we would have them in an
Instant I was
surrounded by four; - they had placed themselves in a Straight
Road, that inclined each way; they had taken down a pair of
Barrs on the North side of the Road, & two of them
were under
a tree in the pasture. The Docter being foremost, he came up;
and we tryed to git past them; but they being armed with pis-
tols & swords, they forced us in to the pasture;
-the Docter jum-
ped his Horse over a low Stone wall, and got to Concord.

I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for
that.
When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse
back,
and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared
to have the command, examined me, where I came from,
& what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere,
he as-ked if it was Paul? I told him yes He asked me if
I was an express? I answered in the afirmative. He
demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and aded, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River,
and that There would be five hundred Americans there
in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.
He imediately rode towards those who stoppd us,
when all five of them came down upon a full gallop;
one of them, whom I afterwards found to be Major
Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by
name,
& told me he was going to ask me
some questions, & if I
did not give him true answers, he would blow my
brains out. He then asked me
similar questions to those
above. He then orderd me to mount my
Horse, after
searching me for arms. He then orderd them to advance,
& to lead me in front. When we got to the Road,
they
turned down towards Lexington. When we had got about one
Mile, the Major Rode up to the officer that was leading
me, & told him to give me to the Sergeant.
As soon as
he took me, the Major orderd him, if I attempted to
run, or any body insulted them, to blow my brains out.
We rode till we got near Lexington Meeting-house,
when the Militia fired a Voley of Guns, which ap-
peared to alarm them very much. The Major inqui-
red of me how far it was to Cambridge, and if there were
any other Road? After some consultation, the Major

Major Rode up to the Sargent, & asked if
his Horse
was tired? He toldanswered him, he was - (He was a
Sargent
of Grenadiers, and had a small Horse) - then, said He,
take that man's Horse. I dismounted, & the
Sargent
mounted my Horse, when they all rode towards
Lexington Meeting-House. I went across
the Burying-ground, & some pastures, & came to the Revd. Mr. Clark's
House, where I found Messrs. Hancok &
Adams. I told them of
my treatment, & they concluded to go from that
House
to wards Woburn. I went with them, & a Mr.
Lowell,
who was a Clerk to Mr. Hancock. When we got to
the
House where they intended to stop, Mr. Lowell & Imy self returned to
Mr. Clark's, to find what was going on. When we got
there, an elderly man came in; he said he had just come from
the Tavern, that a Man had come from Boston, who said
there were no British troops coming. Mr. Lowell &
my
self went towards the Tavern, when we met a Man
on a full gallop, who told us the Troops were coming
up the Rocks. We afterwards met another, who said
they were close by. Mr. Lowell asked me to go to the
Tavern with him, to a Bit a Trunk of papers belonging to Mr.
Hancock. We
went up Chamber; & while we were giting the Trunk,
we saw the British very near, upon a full March.
We hurried to wards Mr. Clark's House. In our way,
we passed through the Militia. There were about 50.
When we had got about 100 Yards from the meeting-House the British
Troops
appeard on both Sides of the Meeting-House. In their

In their Front was an Officer on Horse back. They made a
Short Halt; when I saw, & heard, a Gun fired, which
appeared
to be a Pistol. Then I could distinguish two Guns, &
then
a Continual roar of Musquetry; When we made off with the Trunk.

As I have mentioned Dr. Church,
perhaps it might not
be disagreeable to mention some Matters of my own
knowledge, respecting Him. He appeared to be a high
son of Liberty. He frequented all the places where they met,
Was incouraged by all the leaders of the Sons of Liberty,
& it appeared he was respected by them, though I
knew that
Dr. Warren had not the greatest affection for him. He was esteemed
a very capable writer, especially in verese; and as the Whig party
needed every Strenght, they feared, as well as courted Him.
Though it was known, that some of the Liberty Songs, which We
composed, were parodized by him, in favor of the British,
yet none dare charge him with it. I was a constant &
critical observer of him, and I must say, that I never thought
Him a man of Principle; and I doubted much in my own
mind, wether He was a real Whig. I knew that He kept
company with a Capt. Price, a half-pay British officer, & that
He frequently dined with him, & Robinson, one of the
Commissi
-oners. I know that one of his intimate aquaintances
asked himwhy he was so often with Robinson and
Price? His answer was, that He kept Company
with them on purpose to find out their plans. The day after
the Battle of Lexington, I came acrossmet him in
Cambridge, when He shew
me some blood on his stocking, which he said spirted on
him from a Man who was killed near him, as he was urging
the Militia on. I well remember, that I argued with my
self, if a Man will risque his life in a Cause, he must be
a Friend to that cause; & I never suspected him
after, till He was
charged with being a Traytor.

The same day I met Dr.
Warren. He was President of the
Committee of Safety. He engaged me as a Messinger, to do
the out of doors business for that committee; which gave
me an opportunity of being frequently with
them.
The Friday evening after, about sun set, I was sitting with
some, or near all that Committee, in their room, which was
at Mr. Hastings's House at Cambridge. Dr.
Church, all at once,
started up - Dr. Warren, said He, I am
determined to go into
Boston tomorrow - (it set them all a stairing) -
Dr. Warren
replyed, Are you serious, Dr. Church? they
will Hang you
if they catch you in Boston. He replyed, I am serious, and am
determined to go at all adventures. After a considerable
conversation, Dr. Warren said, If you are
determined, let us
make some business for you. They agreed that he should
go to Bit medicine for their & our Wounded officers.
He
went the next morning; & I think he came back on
Sunday
evening. After He had told the Committee how things were,
I took him a side, & inquired particularly how they
treated
him? he said, that as soon as he got to
their lines on theBoston Neck,
they made him a prisoner, & carried him to
General Gage, where He
was examined, & then He was sent to Gould's
Barracks, & was
not suffered to go home but once.
After He was taken up, for holding a
Correspondence with the Brittish, I came a Cross Deacon
Caleb Davis;-we entred into Conversation about Him;-He told
me, that the morning Church went into Boston, He (Davis)
received
a Bilet for General Gage-(he then did not know that Church was
in Town)-When he got to the General's House, he was told, the General
could not be spoke with, that He was in private with a Gentle
man; that He waited near half an Hour,-When General Gage &Dr. Church came out of a Room, discoursing
together, like

like persons who had been long aquainted.
He ap
-peared to be quite surprized at seeing
Deacon Davis
there; that he (Church) went where he
pleased, while
in Boston, only a Major Caine, one of Gage's Aids, went with him. I
was
told by another person whom I could depend upon, that he saw Church
go in to General
Gage's House, at the above time; that He got out of the Chaise
and went up the steps more like a Man that was aquainted,
than a prisoner. Sometime after, perhaps a Year or two, I fell
in company with a Gentleman who studied
with
Church -in discoursing about him, I related what I have men
tioned above; He said, He did not doubt that He was in the
Interest of the Brittish; & that it was He who
informed Gen. Gage
That he knew for Certain, that a Short time before the Battle of
Lexing
ton, (for He then lived with Him, & took Care of his
Business & Books)
He had no money by him, and was much drove for money; that
all at once, He had several Hundred New Brittish Guineas;
and that He thought at the time, where they came from.

Thus, Sir, I have endeavoured to give you a
Short detail of some matters, of which perhaps no person but
my self have have documents, or knowledge. I have men
tioned some names which you are aquainted with: I wish
you would Ask them, if they can remember the Circumstances
I alude to.

I am, Sir, with every Sentment
of esteem, Your Humble Servant,

Paul Revere

Col. Revere's Letter.

A Letter from Col. Paul Revere to the Corresponding Secretary
[Jeremy Belknap].